Starbucks is famous for their seasonal drinks. I admit they taste delicious; the only thing is they’re loaded with sugar, and even the “skinnies” are loaded with artificial sweeteners. Too much sugar will cause all kinds of problems, like weight gain, bloat, weakened immune system, headaches, fatigue, aging, wrinkles, etc., etc.

So, instead of the Starbucks Gingerbread Latte, which has 29 grams of sugar in a tall 12-ounce with nonfat milk and whipped cream, let’s make a super easy, much healthier recipe at home. I promise it’s just as delicious — maybe even better!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

½ heaping tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger (use ¼ tsp. if you’d like it a little less gingery)

½ tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup

Chai tea bag

Directions:

Boil water in tea kettle (or however you like to warm up water). Place chai tea bag and hot water in a measuring cup so it’s easy to pour into your mug later on. Let tea bag steep for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea.

Blend almond milk, cinnamon, ginger and maple syrup in Vitamix for 3-4 minutes, which makes the mixture hot. If you don’t have a Vitamix, no worries, just heat the mixture on the stove on medium heat.

Pour the gingerbread mixture into your favorite holiday mug, filling the mug about ¾ full. Then fill the rest of the mug with the hot chai tea.

You can play with more or less of the chai tea and mixture to see what you prefer.

You can also just drink the warm gingerbread mix without the tea for a non-caffeinated treat.